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User blog:SomeoneYouUsedToKnow/.-.-.-.-.-.
Yes, I forgot to add the title and just realized right after posting. Yes, you have every right to laugh at my face for it. Let's just use a Heading this time. I messed up but I gotta use something. SYUTK's V5E9 - Raven Is An Asshole - Impressions/Recap: ---- If you read my blog about Ep7, you'd know that I've been playing Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix, on Critical Mode. And last friday, I broke my limits and achieved what I couldn't accomplish earlier: Defeat Sephiroth and Xemnas, and get the Ultima keyblade. With Sephiroth it was accidental, but then I realized that despite just being Lv72, with just a pair of Combo+, a Finishing Plus, and Decisive Pumpkin, I took down like 2 whole bars of HP with a single combo. And while he hits hard, all of his attacks have obvious cues and simple ways to react to them. >Spam Triangle at the beginning, and everytime the cue appears. >He starts his flurry of slashes, Guard. Then Guard again before he finishes the combo since there's a pause midway that makes you drop the guard. After he finishes, counter and combo. >He uses Shadow Flare, just Reflect. >He uses the "Teleport, slash, vanish, repeat" series of attacks, I just used the aerial counterattack after the 1st hit. I end up hitting him before/while he lands the 2nd hit, making him flinch and stop. I just get down to the ground and land a combo in return. >He uses Heartless Angel, just High Jump > Double Jump to him and land an air combo. Just like that, I beat him on like my 6th try. It was astonishingly easy once I looked back upon it, he didn't even get to use Meteor against me. So I got the Fenrir keyblade, which has Negative Combo to reduce the number of hits before a finisher by 1. Combined with another Negative Combo, and deactivating all Combo+, I discovered that I could have an entire combo that '''consists of nothing but Finishers. I could destroy even the toughest, most unflinching foes without worrying about attacks bouncing off. Except Org.XIII's Data copies, those I still can't get even close to beating them. With Xemnas, the problem I had was that the moment the very final fight begins, he starts a flurry of attacks that deal tons of damage and don't give me a single break, and he doesn't even flinch if I hit him. So I just decided to Spam Session, since one is invincible while using Limits. Everytime I finished, I used an Elixir to recover MP, then used it again. In like 2 minutes, I got Xemnas down to his last HP bar, he didn't even get to land a single hit on me. As for Ultima....that was more dumbassity on my end. I was missing just 1 Orichalcum+...which was in a simple chest, in an area I had walked through countless times. I felt dumb once I found it, but at least I got Ultima so it's something. ---- In other news, this thing. For newcomers to this thing, this is basically me, making an informal recap of what happened in the episode, while giving my thoughts about what happens. It also includes fancy color speak. 2 are particularly notable: Red means truth, fact in the eyes of the user, le me. Blue means a guess, an hypothesis, a theory. This was made before/during Tuesday, but is posted after the episode because when I post it, the Recent Activity page gets filled with all the images I use, which would spell Spoilers-Galore. I also have classes on Tuesday from 10am to 5:30pm with some lucky exceptions, and then I have to spend time uploading every pic I'm gonna use. It's time consuming, but it doesn't spoil everyone in one flash. Not helping things is how my internet effectively crashed into a wall and reached near-0 Kb/s speeds just as I was uploading the images. If it wasn’t for that, this would’ve been done yesterday. Also, just in case: This is written as I watch the ep, starting from before watching it. Now, onto the episode. We start our day with: Triumph (or Triumph!) The lack of action in this Volume is really getting to people's nerves, from what I've seen. Everyone, the moment this ep's thumbnail came out, erupted like a volcano, whose lava consists of "MAIDENBOWL, PLACE YOUR BETS" posts, myself included to an extent, while some doubted that there would even be a fight this episode, at least including Vernal and Cinder, since Cinder was ordered to convince Raven to cooperate and give them the Spring Maiden, not to kick her ass and take Vernal by force. .....In hindsight, both responses are rather sad. >Those so desperate for action that they will ignore that fact in hopes of getting a fight. >Those so jaded by the lack of action that they don't expect to get a fight even when it would be cool. Personally, I came into this ep expecting a fight. We already got a Maiden vs Ozpin fight in Vol.3, and despite lasting like 30 seconds, it was amazing. This time, we could get a Maiden vs Maiden fight, with superior animation and special effects and everything. ''CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW AMAZING IT WOULD LOOK?!?!?!'' No wonder everyone wanted a fight. Now, into the episode. 1) A peaceful day at the Branwen Bandit Camp ADayAtBranwens1.png V5 09 00001.png|''Ah...finally some relaxation and peace of mind. These girls were way too troublesome'' ADayAtBranwens3.png|''But now that they're gone I can finally enjoy some peace and quiet again…'' V5 09 00002.png|''Raven! We got trouble, Salem found us'' ADayAtBranwens5.png|''.....Ah crap....'' ADayAtBranwens6.png|''Bring me my helmet....'' .....You know, I'm inclined to say it's Karma but, it's kind of pitiful the amount of stuff the Branwen tribe has had to deal with these last few days. First they get Yang kicking the asses of Jackass Steve and friends. Then they get to see some Soap Opera drama first-hand, with someone's jaw breaking and a tent falling down. Then one of their slaves breaks the cage with a giant suit of armor, and then Raven and Vernal has to stop them because Yang is a Drama Bomb with enough anger to probably cause their camp to re-enact The Fall of Beacon if it kept going. And when both troublemakers are gone, they get Team CAME right on their doorstep, kicking their asses, including Jackass Steve again, and that's before including the fact that they work for Salem, Dark Lord of Darkness and Queen of the Grimm. I’m sure Raven must be screaming inside But she's an asshole, so no one cares. V5 09 00003.png|''Why are bandit camps always grey and brown and red all over? '' V5 09 00004.png|''Shut up Mercury. There she is '' CAME&Raven3.png|''Hello, unannounced guests that I do not remember inviting into my camp '' CAME&Raven4.png|''Mind telling me who was the spineless coward who let you in without my approval? '' CAME&Raven5.png|''A pathetic rat they called Jackass Steve '' CAME&Raven6.png|''Steve, when this is over, you're dead '' V5 09 00006.png|''Don't be so hard on him, Raven. It's not like he could stand against the power of a Maiden '' CAME&Raven8.png|''Speaking of Maidens, we wanted to speak with you '' CAME&Raven9.png|''(Ah, crap....) '' CAME&Raven10.png|''Okay, all of you useless wimps, prepare to leave, we're moving! '' CAME&Raven11.png|''You don't seriously expect us to allow you to run away, do you? '' CAME&Raven12.png|''I know about your master, but I don't think I know who you are... '' CAME&Raven13.png|''(Did that bitch just ignore me?) '' V5 09 00007.png|''It’s quite simple. We ARE fear '' CAME&Raven15.png|''So edgy. Kid, the only people who would be afraid of you, are No One and Nobody '' CAME&Raven16.png|''Oh yeah? Well...um...your mom! '' CAME&Raven17.png|''Mercury, shut up, getting lines again doesn't mean you should say stupid things '' Why does Emerald look surprised there? I imagine it's because Merc was about to talk shit to the person they came to negotiate with, but, one would assume she would know how Merc is by this point. Also, it's beautiful to watch Raven roast Team CAME so much. Both because talking shit to them is always funny, and because she probably will get herself killed for it and that is something I wouldn't lament at all. CAME&Raven18.png|''I am Cinder Fall '' CAME&Raven19.png|''These are my disciples, The One and The Other One '' CAME&Raven20.png|''And this is an asshole '' QuestioningRaven.png|''So, a pair of kids you tricked into following you...a disgraced Atlesian Scientist with a funny moustache... '' CAME&Raven21.png|''...And a Fall Maiden who happens to be named Fall. Egomaniac much? '' CAME&Raven22.png|''...Well, technically I'm also a doctor, but...she's not wrong '' Okay, 2 things: '''First: '''How does she know Watts is an Atlesian Scientist? She didn't know who he was. And "Dr. Watts" doesn't say he's a Scientist specifically, even less Atlesian, especially when in Remnant there don't seem to be such things like racial traits (sans faunus traits), or accents , or anything that would say that Random Joe over there is Mistralian and not Vacuan. At most, the clothes, but even that fails . Blake's clothes in V1-3 didn't really say she was from Menagerie; Pyrrha and Jaune both used armor all the time despite (possibly) being from different Kingdoms, with Pyrrha being from Mistral and Jaune assumingly from Vale ; And despite SSSN sans Sun being (I assume) from Mistral too, they don't walk around in armor like Pyrrha does. Granted, this is more a problem of the show, and of Monty+Miles+Kerry for failing to build their world like they should: >Accents are not a thing like in, say, Dragon Age where Orlesians spoke like French assholes while Fereldans spoke more Britishly, even if everyone spoke in English. This despite language evolution pretty much saying that accents should definitely be a thing, even with "conventional translation" (as in, everyone supposedly speaks Remnantese but we hear them speak in English.....even though they do use the english language as seen in their machines, unless that is also translated, at which point, what's the point?). >Body-wise, there's no racial features that would make someone look "clearly Mistralian" or "definitely Atlesian". Even though, due to different climates and such, people in different Kingdoms should have developed different traits. Watts himself looks too dark-skinned for an Atlesian, considering Atlas is literally a cold wasteland and darker skin is specifically a trait developed to fight back against UV Radiation and prevent the skin from getting burns from the sun's rays. >Clothes-wise, maybe thanks to how Individuality Is A Thing , everyone dresses how they see fit as long as it isn't absolutely absurd or line-crossing. NPCs outside Menagerie and ocasionally in Mistral don't dress in a way that would make their nationality obvious, and named characters even less. So how the hell can Raven tell not just Watts's occupation but also his nationality, just like that? It's absurd. ---- '''Second: Raven calls Cinder an egomaniac. Now, the problem is that "Egomaniac" can mean 2 things, depending on whether one means the real egomania or the people's idea of egomania. The former = Extreme Egocentrism. Not Ego''tism'', that's different, but they can be both present. Egocentrism is more being very self-focused, often ignoring others's views or ideas and only focusing on one's own. It doesn't mean one thinks they're the best thing ever, that is Egotism. Now, Egomania, at least according to Wikipedia (I'm too lazy in my technically-summer break to go deeper), is characterized by things like obsessive preoccupation with one's self, and potentially delusions of personal greatness and feelings of a lack of appreciation. Also, do note that Egomania doesn't mean someone is cruel, mean, or even willing to do wrong . Even if we could say Cinder sees herself as greater than she is, she misses on the other traits. The latter = ...Well, people usually mean someone who is "intolerably self-centered and egoistic", and the closest thing to that is Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Being not just very Egocentric and Apathetic, but also very Vain and Egotistic, with a very inflated and entitled idea of one's own worth and importance. And they often take advantage of others for personal gain. ...However, Narcissists also have a desperate need for attention and praise. Even small criticism is like a sharp knife to the lungs to them. They are also intensely envious of others even for the pettiest of things, and believe others are equally jealous of them. And they tend to re-assert their superiority by putting others down. Cinder being Apathetic and manipulative would fit with what she's done, and being rather Egotistic would be understandable for the closest thing to a Physical God in this show. But we haven't seen Cinder get that hurt over criticism, her ego doesn't seem that fragile, and her way of proving her superiority so far seems more like threatening them than belittling them. She doesn't brag a damn lot about her own achievements either. So........I'm inclined to say that Raven is talking bullshit with that guess. And in her case it's only remediated by the fact that she's been a bandit all her life, I'm not expecting her to be the most knowledgeable person on Remnant . ....Then again, she did just accurately guess someone's nationality and occupation with super-minimal info, so....... CAME&Raven23.png|''Aren't you perceptive... '' CAME&Raven24.png|''Thanks, I read TvTropes. It's what's kept me alive '' CAME&Raven25.png|''Yeah right, you're still alive because you got a cheat weapon on your hands '' V5 09 00008.png|''Know what I mean? '' CAME&Raven27.png|''Ok, they're on to us, come out Vernal '' Cinder is a smug bastard again...probably smugger........I'm not entirely happy about it. I mean, she was always a smug ass back in V1-3, acting like everything was always going according to plan, nothing ever went wrong, and that they were utterly unstoppable. She had no personality beyond being a smug asshole who was smug all the freaking time . Then Silver Eyes happened, she got her Humble Pie, she got scarred and ended up a wimp mocked by absolutely everyone else on Salem's group. Between V4 and her first appearance in V5, I felt that she returned to being badass again, but she got humbled down and now instead of having a smug smile 24/7 that makes her face irritatingly punchable, she was now serious and more angry. ...And then this happens, and it just feels like all her character development in Volume 1 was instantly reversed . And so the Maidens finally meet MaidenTalk1.png|''So this is the long-lost Spring Maiden? '' V5 09 00009.png|''...What's with those clothes? You look like ragged cloth '' MaidenTalk3.png|''Prove to me that you're a Maiden '' MaidenTalk4.png|''Alright, come on. Do one of those magic Maiden tricks of yours '' MaidenTalk5.png|''Fiiiiine... '' V5 09 00010.png|''OOOOUUUUMMMMM... '' V5 09 00011.png V5 09 00012.png V5 09 00013.png V5 09 00014.png|''Alright, I'm convinced'' MaidenTalk6.png|''She's done quite well under my guidance, wouldn't you agree? '' MaidenTalk7.png|''She still looks like ragged cloth though '' MaidenTalk8.png|''If I were you, I would take that into consideration, before you try anything '' MaidenTalk9.png|''...Raven, I'm not going to underestimate you, so please don't assume I'm a foolish idiot. That's just rude'' I have to say 3 things: 1) That's one of the silliest faces I've seen Cinder do since her first appearance. There's just...something about how much she opens her eye. I imagine the idea was to show her internally saying "YES! YES!!" as if she was channeling Emperor Palpatine. But it looks...silly to me. 2) It may just be me but the way Raven treats and speaks about Vernal, I get this feeling she treats and probably considers Vernal as a better daughter than her real daughter . With Yang it was constant mockery and apathy, while with Vernal she's always gentle and even shows gratitude. I don't know if it is out of sympathy or out of a desire to not piss off someone who can make storms with her mind , but it only makes Raven feel more like an asshole to me. Unable to treat Yang even an inch like she treats Vernal? 3) I retract my previous statement about Cinder not having "such a fragile ego" about 5mm. I seriously didn't expect her to actually ask Raven to please not insult her inteligence. MaidenTalk10.png|''Alright, you and that fashion monster have a slim chance to escape and live another day... '' MaidenTalk11.png|''Alright, you and that fashion monster have a slim chance to escape and live another day... '' MaidenTalk12.png|''But don't worry. We could reach an agreement" ; 4)13 "Allow me to explain... '' MaidenTalk13.png|''Allow me to explain... '' V5 09 00015.png|''The Maidens are just means to an end. What Salem wants is the relics in the Huntsman Academies '' MaidenTalk15.png|''Have Vernal here open the Relic Vault in Haven, and She will forgive you. Refuse, and we'll kill you '' MaidenTalk16.png|''Quite the excellent deal, if you ask me. I doubt you'll ever get a better one '' MaidenTalk17.png|''You speak as if barging into Haven was child's play '' MaidenTalk18.png|''Oh, it is. There's absolutely no one there to protect it. Lionheart is loyal to Salem now '' MaidenTalk19.png|''You're not the only one who turned their back on Oz, Raven '' RavenHasNoChoice1.png|''(...Alright, we're fucked. I choose Salem, we all die. I choose Ozpin, we all die. Guess there's only 1 choice...)'' V5 09 00016.png|''I'm not helping Salem nor Ozpin. I'm staying out of this '' RavenHasNoChoice3.png|''Sorry, that ship sailed the moment you chose to harbor a Maiden. Now choose '' RavenHasNoChoice4.png|''If you side with us, we'll let you, that anti-fashionista, and your weak tribe, live to frolic in the wilds or whatever, for the rest of your days '' RavenHasNoChoice5.png|''All we need, is the Relic '' RavenHasNoChoice6.png|''....I need some time to think this over '' V5 09 00017.png|''There is no time. In 2 days the White Fang will destroy Haven. You either choose now, or we will choose for you '' I see Raven's old tactic of delaying everything as much as possible failed hard. Will she side with them? Leaving out Raven's camp, let's analyze the situation. Let's say they refuse and, naturally, Cinder and co. must beat Raven and take Vernal. How would that go? >We have 0 idea of Watts's fighting skills, so let's leave him out. >Em has Mind Tricks and Merc has Kicks, but Raven beats both of them in experience and most likely skill quite a lot. Em's Mind Tricks have their limits as she must focus to do them well, and Raven is probably faster than Merc. @Chish: Just in case: Yes, I know Em's Semblance is Hallucinations. But that's a mouthful, Mind Tricks is easier to write and still accurate so whtv. >The only one who probably has similar skill to Raven is Cinder, but she'd be busy dealing with Vernal, who even if she has less real combat experience than Cinder, is still a Maiden who knows how to use the powers quite well, so at the very least she's a very damn good pest . Overall, Raven and Vernal can win. Even if Vernal can't beat Cinder, Raven kicks the asses of The Ones and then helps Vernal deal with Cinder, and together I'm pretty sure they would win easily against her. Then they kill them because I seriously doubt Raven would be the kind of person to let them live. .....So...why does Raven act like if she had no choice but to side with them? The 2 of them can indeed win this. Worst-case Scenario the camp is ruined, but they can just make another one (hell, she just told everyone to prepare to leave), and it's better to lose a temporary camp than to give Salem a freaking Maiden so she can get a freaking RELIC. Please tell me she's not gonna be that stupid and say yes. What happened with that "I would take that into consideration before you try anything" line she said just a few minutes ago? TrustInEbil1.png|''Agreements like these depend on trust. And to be honest... '' V5 09 00018.png|''...You all look so obviously evil, I can't trust a single one of you '' TrustInEbil3.png|''You'll need more to convince me '' TrustInEbil4.png|''I don't think you understand the poor position you're in to negotiate, Raven Branwen '' TrustInEbil5.png|''I want my brother dead '' V5 09 00019.png|''......What '' .........Wait, what? .........What? ...................What? .................................................... WeissDrinkingCoffee.png 0Fucks-Weiss.png|''Are you fucking kidding me?'' With family like her... V5 09 00020.png|''He knows I have Spring. If I side with you, he's gonna be a problem'' RavenousSister3.png|''And I have quite enough problems as it is, you know?'' PleasedCinder.png|''He doesn't trust me but he trusts whoever works for Ozpin. Like Leo'' RavenousSister4.png|''If Leo really is loyal to you, then just tell him to help us set up an ambush'' RavenousSister5.png|''He goes to Haven, we kill him, you get the Relic, and everyone lives Happily Ever After'' ......I feel like this Volume lately has been a competition between Ilia and Raven for who I end up hating the most. She can fight off Cinder and co., and we can avoid all this silly drama . And yet she doesn't just choose to help them, she downright asks for their help to kill Qrow so she can help them more easily! She doesn't even give a damn about killing her freaking twin brother. She knows who Salem is, she knows what could happen if Salem gets the Relics, she knows that even if Ozpin isn't a saint he's a miles-better option than SALEM, and yet she does it anyway. And is willing to kill Qrow while at it, with even a smug smile while proposing the idea! This is such an absurd amount of outrageous stupidity that I can't keep up with this crap. It's like she's DESIGNED to be such an stupid asshole on purpose for fun and kicks. She's an asshole with no saving graces, like Cardin and the Trophy Wife before her. But just being an asshole was bearable. But now, she's joining the Evil team, for no good reason. Previous episodes failed flat at trying to have her show a good reason for why she distrusts Ozpin so much. At most, she just wanted to be no part of their conflict. Now she's downright willing to oppose him.....yet she doesn't need to, and she provides no good reasons for why she's so willing and seemingly happy to oppose Ozpin and kill Qrow to help Salem. Is it for the sake of her tribe? Because she knows Salem is the Darklord of Darkness and Queen of the Grimm, that's all she knows. She has no reason to assume Salem won't kill her or her tribe off after getting the Relic, and she has even less reason to assume nothing wrong will happen to her tribe if Salem wins. Is it just to give Ozpin the middle finger or something? Because if so, she's a complete and utter MORON. Ugh, at this point I'm placing Raven right over Ilia in terms of who I hate the most right now. Just put her head on a pike already. ---- Raven aside, I'm surprised at Team CAME's reactions. Sans Merc, they all looked astonished to some extent, even Cinder, as if they never expected her to propose such a thing. Also, 3 things: 1) Raven's plan. She has no idea that no one trusts Lionheart because he's an Obvious Judas, so she has no idea that Qrow and co. would see through it and come prepared....Assuming they do. They are, at most, wary of Leo, not distrustful of him. Chances are they will indeed get ambushed and not see it coming until it happens. 2) The timeline. The WF attack happens in 2 days from that moment. I imagine that it also means it will happen about 2 days from then on RNJR's end as well. The question is Blake. >Adam killed Sienna 1 month before the attack on Haven, he's aligned with RNJR. We know this since Hazel and Oscar were on the exact same train. >Blake's story was 1 month behind, with the attack on Haven being planned for 2 months later by V5E3 on her end, compared to 1 month on RNJR's end. >A few episodes later, Oscar says it's been weeks, while on Menagerie's end the Albains said they got news about Adam becoming the King of All Faunus. The problem here is how quick they got those news. It could've been days later or weeks later after it happened. >Now it's 2 days until the attack happens. But how many days is it until the attack, on Blake's end? Depending on how soon the Albains got the news, it could be weeks behind RNJR or happening at about the same time. Which leads to the question of whether Blake will arrive too late, just in time, or even on time. 3) Another problem is the pacing. So far it takes multiple episodes for things to happen. And right now we have like 5 episodes still left. And the Battle of Haven is gonna happen in 2 days. ...So either those 2 days pass by at the slooooooowwwweeeesssstt way possible , which is reasonably expected at this point, or the Battle of Haven will not be the Finale ed means truth, fact. Though then, I have no idea what would be the Finale. Unless the Battle gets dragged on for like 4 episodes. Which....would be fine, the Battle of Beacon took 3 episodes from start to finish if you don't count PvP. Though this one seems to be of lower scale, it also has a bigger number of named characters on both teams that will have a reasonable chance of facing each other, meaning there's more potential duels. ....Of course, this Volume also has a fetish for wasting our bloody time with only a few parts actually moving things forward , so even if it's longer in terms of episodes, chances are that less stuff of value happens during the Battle. Thankfully though, this episode hasn't wasted our time so far. If only because Team CAME, unlike Raven, actually gets to the point from the get go . I'm actually inclined to say this is shaping up to be one of the best episodes in this Volume just for that. RavenousSister6.png|''I like that plan'' RavenousSister7.png|''...Okay, this is pretty sudden, so let's pause for a moment'' V5 09 00021.png|''We have 1 objective: Secure the Relic of Knowledge'' RavenousSister9.png|''And as much as we'd like Qrow dead, he wouldn't go down without a fight. And not a quiet fight'' RavenousSister10.png|''We already have the advantage here. We barge into Haven totally unopposed, and take the Relic'' RavenousSister11.png|''A fight with your brother would please the demands of the audience, but it would ruin our entire plan'' V5 09 00022.png|''Please. Qrow is good, but not that good. All 5 of us could take him down in 10 seconds'' V5 09 00023.png|''But he's not alone. He has the students...he has Ruby'' RavenousSister14.png|''He...certainly does'' RavenousSister15.png|''I know what you're thinking, and I'm saying: NO'' RavenousSister16.png|''We mess up the mess hall, the authorities will be onto us, and then the WF attack fails, our whole plan is ruined, and Salem will kill us!'' RavenousSister17.png|''Then how about this: Leo invites Qrow and his allies to Haven on the same day the White Fang attack'' RavenousSister18.png|''And we strike. Then the White Fang destroys Haven, leaving no evidence behind'' DealOfEbil1.png|''Then you take the Relic, and leave my people alone'' ........You mean, you want to have nearly all the heroes, in the same place, at the same time you're going to carry out the attack? ............THAT'S AN EVEN WORSE PLAN THAN RAVEN'S!!! Raven's plan was to ambush Qrow and kill him 5vs1. Cinder's plan is to gather Qrow and all his allies in the area, those being RNJR, WY and Oscar, including the girl who has the one power strong enough to beat her in a flash (literally). I mean, if it was inviting just Qrow, then cool. It'd make sense. But it's not inviting just Qrow, it's inviting all 8 heroes in Mistral + all the potential allies he could've gotten. I mean, he didn't get a single one, everyone's either dead, busy or unknown. But Cinder seems to assume it's just Qrow and the kids. Sure, Qrow's the best they got, the rest don't really stand a chance and they've wasted their time talking instead of training. But it's still an horrendous idea compared to Raven's. How can Watts even give it a second thought? Hell, what if those 7 meddling kids meddle with the White Fang's attack? Did Cinder think of that possibility? It happened back at Beacon, she got Pyrrha looking for a quick needless death, and Ruby, well, she's the reason Vale is still standing. Why is everyone being so stupid?! V5 09 00024.png|''Sounds like a good deal to me'' V5 09 00025.png|''WAIT'' V5 09 00026.png|''Cinder, if our plan falls apart due to your grudge with a CHILD, I'm not taking the blame for it'' DealOfEbil5.png|''And just what are you worried about, Watts?'' V5 09 00028.png|''AAAHH! My hand! You petty, dirty salamander!'' DealOfEbil7.png|''Go back home and play with your machines, Watts'' I swear, that "Wait" of Watts was terrifying. It's like he was suddenly possessed by Hazel, it caught me off-guard. Also, assuming Cinder doesn't die in the Battle of Haven, I can only imagine Salem's face when she finds out that their perfect, fail-proof plan that could've literally allowed them to just walk in and take the Relic without resistance, failed thanks to Cinder trying to take "An Eye for an Eye" too literally. DealOfEbil8.png|''And tell Salem, that she'll get what she wants. And more'' DealOfEbil9.png|''(I hope, by the gods, that my hand doesn't end up like the chicken we ate last night...)'' V5 09 00029.png This might be a new record in the last few episodes. Discounting the opening, it's 8:35 whole minutes where the plot actually moves forward. It's almost disgusting that we got no fight whatsoever. No Maidenbowl. Not even showing us Merc and Em kick some bandits before they get in the camp. But at least our time wasn't entirely wasted. It's a step forward. 2) Meanwhile in the BellaHouse... BellaHouseAtNight.png WildGhira1.png WildGhira2.png WildGhira3.png WildGhira4.png WildGhira5.png WildGhira6.png I can't tell what has more testosterone. Ghira's asskicking with his coat on or Ghira's asskicking without his coat on. Also, something I noticed...I saw a while ago Chish correcting an anon about the color of the "energy" Blake's default clones release. White with light-purple outlines. And now I look at the "slash trail" effect as Ghira attacks. It looks....pretty similar to me. Compare the pics above with these: V2e9 blake clone energy1.png V2e9 blake clone energy2.png V2e9 blake clone energy3.png V2e9 blake clone energy4.png Maybe Aura color, or at least Aura special effects, are hereditary? So if your dad has blue Aura you probably will have Blue Aura too. Of course, Blake's is noticeably far more purple. You can see they're not the same color. But considering a small flash later on...my hypothesis might still stand. WildGhira7.png|''I WILL DESTROY YOU!!!'' WildGhira8.png|''DENIED'' V5 09 00032.png WildGhira10.png WildGhira11.png WildGhira12.png|''I'll be honest, brother, he's pretty cool to watch'' WildGhira13.png|''AURGH!!'' I had to watch this thing like 10 consecutive times at 0.5 speed to get the best timing, and I must say that Fennec's face right there is absolutely glorious. 10/10 never got bored of seeing it. I couldn't capture it since it happens very quick, but it suffices to say that if an image says more than a thousand words, then I would need more than a thousand images (or a gif). Also, I must also say that....it feel a bit of inconsistency between this fight's start and the end of the last episode. >In the last episode, Corsac and Fennec were both pointing their weapons at Ghira as he took off his clothes. The 3 were the only ones at the entrance. >We cut to this fight, and there's at least a pair of mooks that Ghira trashes around, while Corsac and Fennec just stand there watching, with their weapons down. Instead of, say, shooting Ghira while he's busy. There's only 2 possible explanations for this inconsistency: 1) The Albains are idiots who severely underestimated Ghira. 2) The Albains were absolutely stunned and entranced by Ghira's manliness. GhiravsFoxes1.png|''You shall pay for that'' V5 09 00034.png|''BRING IT'' GhiravsFoxes3.png|''Fire!'' GhiravsFoxes4.png|''GAE'' GhiravsFoxes5.png|''BOLG!'' V5 09 00035.png GhiravsFoxes7.png|''(I knew I should have taken those javelin-throwing classes...)'' GhiravsFoxes8.png|''UNGAAH!'' GhiravsFoxes9.png|''Oh cra-'' GhiravsFoxes10.png|''AAAAAAHHH!!'' V5 09 00036.png|''BROTHER!'' V5 09 00037.png|''NICE SHOT…'' GhiravsFoxes13.png|''…BUT IT IS JUST A SCRATCH!'' GhiravsFoxes14.png|''(This is so not going according to plan...)'' And there were have it again. Aura Sparks. What does it mean this time? Supposedly, they are meant to show that someone's Aura is down. At least according to Miles, at least according to some people around here. Of course, there's the problems of Qrow and Yang's Semblances somehow still activating after showing said sparks, and especially how Ruby showed those sparks like 5 consecutive times with each hit Tyrian gave her. So I believe that, regardless of their original supposed purpose, they are meant to show either: 1) That someone's Aura is at critical levels. 2) That someone took severe damage and their Aura could barely protect them from it, and as such it probably stopped protecting them for a short time due to the "strain". The latter is the idea I suscribe to the most. I already explained them in a thread somewhere with more detail, but that's the summed up version. To clarify on the latter, the idea is that one's Aura can only block so much damage at once, how much depending on their training/skill at using Aura. The sparks show when that limit was reached, if not surpassed, by the received damage. It doesn't mean one ran out of Aura. Though their Aura Shield probably stops working for a while as it recovers from the impact, similar to how one can end up momentarily dizzy from a hard-enough hit to the head. ---- Of course, regardless of what the sparks mean, there's a problem: The melodrama. The fireball didn't look that powerful, and it's literally the first hit Ghira has received all night, and we have no reason to assume otherwise given how he's been casually countering the WF Mooks with 1 hand all this time. Yet despite all this, a single hit was enough to make him show the Aura Sparks. If it was "Severe Damage Taken", it's silly since it didn't look that strong. While if it was any of the other 2, it's even more ridiculous unless somehow Ghira has Aura made of wet paper. One would imagine that at this point his Aura would be pretty tough. If only from all the hosing the Original White Fang probably got during their protests. ---- Speaking of fireballs and silliness....don't tell me Corsac won't do anything for the rest of the fight. His weapon only requires 1 hand, has no recoil to mess-up accuracy, and he still has at least his left-hand left free. He can easily keep firing at Ghira, providing Fennec some Support Fire (pun intended). V5 09 00038.png|''Aero!'' V5 09 00039.png|''YOUR PETTY BREEZE IS POWERLESS AGAINST ME'' GhiravsFoxes17.png|''HAHA! You fell right into our-'' V5 09 00040.png|''NO!'' GhiravsFoxes19.png Those are some really horrendous windows. They fail aesthetically . I mean, the outside is a dark blue, fitting of a night with a clear sky, and yet the inside side of the windows makes it look like there's a sandstorm outside. In fact, when the window breaks you can clearly see that one half is colored like the outside - dark blue like the night sky - and the other is with an opaque sandy color instead, regardless of where they are "staring" at. In fact, you can't even see any sort of figure, let alone Sun, outside the window. He literally pops out of nowhere the moment the window is broken. It's like the window wasn't even a window, just a painted section of the wall. I'm pretty sure that making windows that show the stuff on the outside, is something RT knows how to do, considering that such a thing's been done since the early 2000s, and even in the show itself they have already done it, at the very least as far back as in V5E2 on the plane Weiss was in. BSToTheRescue1.png|''You ok, BellaDaddy?!'' BSToTheRescue2.png|''I won't let you gang-up on my brother!'' V5 09 00041.png|''If I have to ditch the mantle, so be it'' BSToTheRescue3.png|''We shall stand and fight together'' V5 09 00042.png|''Let's show them, brother!'' BSToTheRescue5.png|''Fira!/Aerora!'' BSToTheRescue6.png BSToTheRescue7.png|''OH COME ON! Cut me some slack, I just got here!'' BSToTheRescue8.png|''Could you hurry already?!'' V5 09 00044.png|''On it!'' BSToTheRescue10.png|''Hey, you idiot poopfaces!'' BSToTheRescue11.png|''Remember me?'' BSToTheRescue12.png|''Sister Ilia, you had one job...'' V5 09 00045.png|''(...Man, their aiming sucks)'' BSToTheRescue14.png|''(Really, really sucks)'' BSToTheRescue15.png BSToTheRescue16.png BSToTheRescue17.png|''Think that will work?'' V5 09 00046.png BSToTheRescue19.png|''Never saw it coming'' I have multiple things to say about this scene: 1) Corsac's haircut. It's just.....I expected him to be bald, really. But turns out he does have hair...and I find it a bit hard to take seriously, it looks like RT just copy-pasted Sokka's haircut without the wolf-tail. I can no longer see Corsac has anything but an Evil Furry Team Magma Sokka. 2) I need a top-quality version of that Firestorm the Albains did. I look at it and I can't help but think of what a damn good Desktop Wallpaper it would be. 3) I seriously wonder just what the hell can't Sun block with simple staff-twirling. Blocking a thunder beam, ok. Blocking knives, even more ok. Blocking a Firestorm like that, I'm getting curious. At this rate he could easily block a Lava Kamehameha from Cinder with that thing. 4) I imagine that Blake would've likely gotten some Dust on her way to Menagerie, but I'm liking much the idea that she just kept the Dust-filled Magazine Weiss gave her back in Vol.2. It just sounds so great in every way . 5) What the hell were the Albains doing after Blake appeared? They just threw puny Dustballs at her. Instead of, say, blasting her with another Firestorm, or at least a gust of Fire or Wind like Fennec did less than a minute ago. I'm perfectly sure that would've been much more likely to hit Blake than the puny balls . Aditionally, why try to stab her once she's on the ground? Why not shoot a fireball point-blank? I mean, it was enough to seemingly one-shot Ghira's Aura, and I doubt Blake has more endurance. Their explosion, if they even explode, is so small there's no risk of friendly fire either. And even if Blake still managed to make her Ice Clone, it would've inmediately thawed, preventing them from being caught in it like idiots. You have Fire Dust. You have Wind Dust. You just showed what you can do with those things, so JUST DO IT. GSvsFoxes1.png|''Dad! Where's mom?'' GSvsFoxes2.png|''I AM NOT SURE, I GOT AMBUSHED BEFORE I COULD GO LOOK FOR HER'' GSvsFoxes3.png|''Why are you speaking like that?'' GSvsFoxes4.png|''BECAUSE I DECIDED TO FIGHT WITH MY FULL MIGHT!'' GSvsFoxes5.png|''Please stop that. It's too silly'' GSvsFoxes6.png|''Oh. Sorry'' GSvsFoxes7.png|''But nevermind me. Go find your mother, we'll deal with them'' GSvsFoxes8.png|''You keep saying that monkey boy isn't completely useless'' GSvsFoxes9.png|''Let me see first-hand how true that is!'' GSvsFoxes10.png|''Don't worry Blake, we can handle this'' GSvsFoxes11.png|''Besides, I've wanted to smack flat these creepy cultist creeps since Day 1'' GSvsFoxes12.png|''We can hear you, you know'' GSvsFoxes13.png|''Blake, go! Being fast is important, every second matters!'' V5 09 00047.png|''Fine! But don't you dare die!'' So in the end, it's Solgaleo vs Team Magma Furries. Interesting. Will Sun finally use the Gunchuks again? I mean, he didn't use them in V2 due to animation troubles with their design, which apparently they've had since Vol.1 (Monty just avoided it by recycling an old animation he made long before RWBY). However, it's been, what, 3 or 4 years since then? One would imagine that RT would've already fixed whatever problems there were with their skeleton that prevented them from using the Gunchuks again. I'm actually starting to wonder if they even remember they had that function. I mean, so far Sun uses it solely as a staff, he doesn't even shoot with that thing. If they won't ever have him use the Gunchucks again, alright, but at least remember he has a GUN-staff. Also, Corsac is so fat... GSvsFoxes15.png|''This is nothing but a small delay. Nothing will change'' GSvsFoxes16.png|''Don't worry Sir, I won't let you down!'' GSvsFoxes17.png|''Just shut up and fight'' GSvsFoxes19.png 3) What a selfish bitch….. V5 09 00049.png|''We're fucked...we're totally fucked...definitely fucked...'' SelfishRaven2.png|''...What do you want, Vernal? I'm analyzing our current situation'' SelfishRaven3.png|''I followed them like you told me...'' SelfishRaven4.png|''Oh, right, I did. Did they spot you?'' SelfishRaven5.png|''Please. Don't you trust my Ninja Skillz?'' SelfishRaven6.png|''They have a ship a few clicks away from here. They're having a sleepover there'' Okay, I can't handle it anymore. VERNAL, THAT HAIRCUT IS AN HORRENDOUS INSULT TO FASHION. Seriously, it's so damn boyish that it makes it look like Vernal was trying hard at trying to look "rude and tough", but went overboard and instead made herself look like a freaking chimp. You know, like Miley Cyrus. Seriously, every single time I see Vernal, I don't see a human, I see a freaking chimpanzee with a leather vest, because of that stupid ugly haircut of hers. Does she even need it? The other bandit girls in the camp didn't try so hard, they had normal female haircuts . Not even Raven uses such a thing, and I'm pretty sure she has more balls than Vernal. ---- Rant aside, Vernal said "a few clicks", or at least that's what I heard the 5 consecutive times I re-played that line.........and, what the hell is a click? Is it a small distance like a foot? A huge distance like a yard? Are Team CAME right nearby, or rather-far away? The Imperial System of Units that Murica thinks is so amazing and unique and superior to the much-better Metric System, is already a pain to follow for how damn unclear and unprecise it is . "Foot" is pretty much the most reliable unit in that system, being simply "30.5cm". I don't need RT to use units no one has even heard of. If they want to keep things relatively-vague, at least say "not too far away" or "nearby" or something more understandable. SelfishRaven7.png|''Thank you. Anything else?'' SelfishRaven8.png|''Do you...actually believe they'll leave us alone after we give them the Relic?'' SelfishRaven9.png|''Of course not, I'm not stupid. Salem will use us like puppets until we're no longer useful, and then she'll discard us like used napkins'' SelfishRaven10.png|''We want to stand a chance against her, WE need the Relic'' V5 09 00051.png|''If Qrow and his meddling kids want to side with Ozpin, whatever. During the chaos, we take the Relic, then run for our lives'' SelfishRaven12.png|''What about that blonde girl? Your daughter'' SelfishRaven13.png|''I don't care, I warned her, she made her choice'' So, on one hand, Raven's not as absolutely stupid as I thought at the beginning of this episode... But on the other hand she reminds us that she is fundamentally an asshole who doesn't give a damn about her brother or daughter. .....You know, at this point I wonder who the hell died and made her Bandit Queen? SelfishRaven14.png|''This will be our hardest fight yet'' SelfishRaven15.png|''Actually, it's our first fight ever in this show'' SelfishRaven16.png|''But we must do what we can for the tribe'' SelfishRaven17.png|''I know. I'll do whatever it takes'' SelfishRaven18.png|''Good. Now if you excuse me...'' V5 09 00052.png|''KRAAW'' V5 09 00053.png|''KRAAW'' So, she can indeed make portals without her pretty sword. Because it wasn't obvious enough already. Hopefully this will shut up the idiots who thought she needed her sword to make them. ....Though I doubt it, because apparently showing us a tiny portal in that scene was too much for RT to do. Even though it'd be cheap and quick and wouldn't even take much time. It'd be easier than it was to show us a portal back in Ep5; same shit, but much smaller and for a much shorter amount of time. Seriously, if it wasn't for the sound effect, one could be forgiven for thinking it was a time-skip of sorts instead. They couldn't even be bothered to show a small red light. V5 09 00054.png|''(Shit, is that Raven? The hell is she doing here?)'' V5 09 00055.png|''Hey Qrow. Oz wants to speak with you'' InterruptiningOzpin3.png|''Oh, uh...alright, I guess...'' V5 09 00056.png|''(What a mood-killer...)'' B-I Confrontation BIConfrontation1.png|''MOM! WHERE ARE YOU?!'' BIConfrontation2.png|''Things sound chaotic around here. I hope she's okay...'' BIConfrontation3.png|''(Let's see...knowing her, she should be here in 10...9...)'' BIConfrontation4.png|''Ilia!'' BIConfrontation5.png|''(Oh, she got here sooner than I expected)'' BIConfrontation6.png|''...Blake'' BIConfrontation7.png|''...So we're actually doing this?'' V5 09 00057.png And that's it. We end up with a double tease, on top of the previous teases. In total: 1>Solgaleo vs Albains 2>Raven probably going to tell Qrow something. 3>Ozpin going to tell Qrow something. 2+3>Raven meeting the Compost King and probably laughing her ass off. 4>Blake vs Ilia And that's before all the potential questions, like if Kali is even still alive. Conclusions I have to say, this is THE best episode so far from a narrative standpoint in recent weeks, and probably the 2nd best episode so far after V5E2, by virtue of 1 thing: IT. DID. NOT. WASTE. OUR. TIME. For 99% of the episode, we don't have dragged-on scenes that serve no real purpose. The plot is always moving forward in this episode, starting from CAME and Raven reaching an agreement of sorts, then showing Ghira kicking ass before Blake and Sun reach the BellaManor, then cutting to Raven revealing she's going to doublecross Team CAME and take the Relic for herself, and finishing by having Blake and Ilia find each other and get ready to fight. The most "unnecesary" moment in this episode is Oscar telling Qrow that Ozpin wants to speak with him, yet it's so damn short that it doesn't waste our time at all and thus it's no real problem whatsoever. On top of it, we actually did get an action scene this time as well. Ghira's Semblance to make his every move exude masculinity did not fail to deliver this time either . It wasn't even a slow-ass fight either, though not as fast as anything in V1-3. I watched much of the fight at literally 50% of the normal speed, and this still felt pretty fast at times. ....That said... ---- I'm pretty disappointed at how they missed such a great chance to show Merc and Em kick ass again. They skipped their entire ass-whoping of Jackass Steve and just jumped to their meeting with Raven. Such a waste. The main problem though isn't the lost action, but the fact that as a result of the lost action, Merc and Em....well, they feel like they were there just for the sake of being there. Like people Cinder hired to stand beside her and make her look cool. Since that's pretty much all they do. More egregiously though, is that the same goes with Vernal. After displaying her powers, she also just stands there quietly. At multiple points she's even off-camera. The problem with her is that on one hand, it's understandable that Merc, Em or Vernal wouldn't speak much, if at all, they would just let their bosses discuss things without interrupting. But Merc and Em are at least visible in multiple shots showing Team CAME , so we can see their reactions at the very least (and I have say, for every fuck Merc doesn't give Em gives out 3). With Vernal...we don't. She doesn't show surprise or annoyance or anything, like Merc and Em do multiple times . ---- I'm rather disappointed with the Albains. I mean, I expected them to actually...well, move, do some acrobatics, fight like martial artists or something. Considering how much the people under them move, in and out of fights. ...But instead they took a page out of Weiss and just stood there, hardly moving from their spots, while just pointing their pointy sticks at Ghira and firing Dust spells. They don't even dab or something while at it to make it look cool. Now, to be fair, their Firestorm looked fucking cool . But still. Also, what kind of Dust did Fennec use? It was White (despite what the past episode showed him using...) and that's supposed to be Wind. But the way it looked and acted, felt more like Steam to me. .................Also, an epiphany right as I was writing this section. Anyone got a nice pic of Merc's "Airballs" from V3? To compare them with Fennec's puny "Airball". ---- I would say I hate Raven as a character, but that was clear enough already in this blog. Because seriously, she's such a selfish asshole, that...mmm...I wonder how it'd be if she actually did ransom Weiss back to Jacques and the two of them met. Because seriously, they are just perfect for each other : Birds of a Feather: >They are both shitty parents who do everything, including questionable things, thinking of the group they belong to (The Schnee/SDC, the Branwen Tribe), while ignoring their actual family in the process (The actual Schnees, Qrow and Yang) with little, if any, fucks given. >They both have a high-rank at what they do. Jacques is the CEO of the world's biggest Dust-working company, Raven is a renowned Bandit Queen that no one wants to mess with. >They both have kind of a temper and quickly switched to a more angry and threatening tone when their daughters showed "defiance" (Jacques with Weiss twice or thrice in V4, Raven with Yang during their talk in V5E4). >They both distrust an Academy's Headmaster of notable position that they have a direct relation to (Jacques is "friends" with Ironwood, but sees how Woody there is going insane. Raven and Ozpin, just watch V5E6). >And more simply, they are both assholes. Opposites Attract: >Raven is a badass, Jacques...........he isn't. >Perfectly-contrasting colors: White/Blue and Black/Red. >Raven has a Grimm Mask like the WF, who Jacques most certainly hates. >Perfectly-opposite social standings (Bandit Queen vs CEO of renowned company). >Jacques makes money legitimately, Raven.....not so much. >Jacques is obsessed with public opinion, Raven doesn't seem to give a damn about that. >Raven travels around. Jacques...doesn't seem to move much, if anything he's against the idea of moving out of Atlas. Seriously, if this ship has a name, I wanna hear it. They are both assholes, and I despise Raven so far, but this ship is one of the best I've ever imagined. ---- Speaking of Raven, I wonder if she'll actually die in this Volume. I wouldn't like it since we haven't gotten a Tai-Raven scene yet and we desperately need one , but if it happens, I'd like it to be in one of these 2 karmic ways: 1>She did everything for her tribe, including killing, pillaging, and maybe even almost dooming the world. Cue the Branwen Tribe sans maybe Qrow, all being killed by Salem, with the reality hammering Raven on the head before she follows. 2>She's a god-awful mother, who completely abandoned her child all her life and treated her badly when they finally met. Then X happens and she's on the edge of death, the only one who could actually save her is Yang...and Yang simply walks away and leaves her to her fate. She can't go out like Roman did. She's one of the most unsympathetic characters in this entire show, she's even more unsympathetic than Jacques is by virtue of not having any real excuses for her behaviour beyond "THE TRIBE, THE TRIBE, THE TRIBE", and the only people less sympathetic than Raven are either 1-dimensional assholes, like Cardin, or just insane, like Adam. ---- And, that's pretty much it. We got no Maidenbowl or were even shown some small bit of bandit ass-kicking. We did get to see more GhirAction, but still, no Fall vs Spring Combat. Considering that Raven could've indeed at least tried and did have a chance (Cinder > Vernal, but I feel Raven+Vernal > Cinder, and Merc+Em < Raven), if you're one of the likely-thousands who were completely disappointed by this, you have my full sympathy . That said, this was a good episode in an overall sense. Minimal wasted time, we got some action, the plot moves forward , this is how the last 4-so episodes should've been. If the next 5 episodes keep this up, this Volume might just redeem itself in my eyes. This isn't a step forward, this is a JUMP forward. FUNNY V5E9 PICS!!! :D On one hand, I got very few this time, and not necesarily High-Quality ones. On the other hand, rewatching scenes at 50% made me see that the characters make quite the weird faces at certain frames. Not necesarily funny ones, but still. Might as well try it when the episode goes on Youtube, see for yourself, see what you get. I think YT's player actually allows one to play videos at 0.25x speed. AreYouSerious-Cinder.png|''Are you serious?'' QuestioningRaven.png|''Let me tell you why that's bullshit'' SmugCinder.png|Smug Cinder is back, yo AnnoyedEmerald.png|Emerald is annoyed at your attempts at humor Not included: Fennec's amazing, glorious face right before he's hit by the WF girl. Because a single image is not enough to reflect such beautiful sight. Category:Blog posts